150 Years of Fashion - 2017
What an amazing event!
The combination of the abundant talents of the Victoria Hall Volunteers and Northumberland Players proved to be the perfect fusion, resulting in an incredible event. The 22 committee members, 23 models, all those working behind the scenes, and the countless volunteers from both organizations put in thousands of hours to ensure that our guests had an unforgettable time - and they did!
There were frequent "ooh"s and "aahs" from the audience as the very beautiful works of art (and a few fashion faux pas) from the Canadian fashion scene over the past 150 years came down the runway. The range of clothing included heavy layered clothes from the 1870's, a luxurious silk velvet opera coat, beaded gowns, hippy garb from the 60's, and the unforgettable polyester men's suits from the 70's. It was a nostalgic trip down memory lane with some laughter too. There was a real buzz as our guests left at the end of the show talking about their favourite fashions, the sweet children and students who had such fun strutting down the runway and that spirited male model who made everyone chuckle! We asked our guests to join in the spirit of our celebration by wearing that special ensemble or the hat that they wore only once to a wedding. Take a few minutes to have a look at the pictures and you'll see that everyone enjoyed dressing up and being part of the event.
The entrance to Victoria Hall and the Concert Hall were beautifully decorated. The tea tables were draped in silky purple table cloths topped with handmade Victorian tussie-mussies which were traditionally carried as a bridal bouquet in Victorian times. At the intermission guests were served homemade sweets arranged on tiered cake stands created by Victorian Hall Volunteers from a collection of vintage plates, tea cups and saucers that rivalled the Victorian elegance of the Concert Hall.
The funds raised from this event will enable the Victoria Hall Volunteers to sustain their mandate to preserve and enhance the historical aspects of Victoria Hall, and also allow Northumberland Players to continue a 40 year tradition of showcasing vibrant theatre in Northumberland County.
Saturday May 6, 2017 was truly a once in a life time opportunity to celebrate Canada 150 and showcase museum quality costumes from the Northumberland Players Costume House's extraordinary collection that will never be viewed together again. Both organizations extend their thanks for everyone's support!